


Caledonia

by fire_90



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-25 16:34:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12039876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fire_90/pseuds/fire_90
Summary: There's a girl, there's a band, there's a curmudgeonly sulky and mysterious guy. And this man meets the brightest light of his life for chance...Would he be so daring to follow it?





	1. Chapter 1

Friday night. So cold. The roads were almost completely empty because of the snow that had fallen until a few hours before. A chaotic kind of day at work, so that she had barely been able to find 30 minutes to eat a homemade chicken salad cooked the night before and only 15 minutes to change quickly at home and get out again. That was a brief description of Belle’s day, who was still wondering why she had said yes to the offer to go to a club to listen to a band she had never heard of before.

_"You know I don’t like to go to the clubs, and I don’t even know this band you’re talking about!" she pouted a bit._

_"First of all, it's a shame you don’t know them. They would have had a great success If they didn’t decide to give up on everything shortly before making ‘the leap of quality’...And then, who cares If you don’t know them? It’s just to go listening to some good music and they, believe me, do it very well"._

_Belle sighed "Why are you asking me? You never ask me to go to these places together, let's just say you so rarely ask me to go anywhere together on evening. Come on, tell me. What's going on? Spit it out" she said, looking at him with half closed eyes._

_"I'm shocked by your insinuation, Miss, do I have to have a reason to go out with you or are you just too busy with Dickens and Shakespeare to get out of your house, get rid of those nerd clothes and go and get something to drink in a pub with your best friend?" he said dramatically, putting a hand on his heart heart for show._

_She shrugged "My best friend? You're so disillusioned. And what can I tell you, culture keeps me busy, even though I know it's a hard concept for you to grasp. So, this so called ‘nerd’ won’t come. Case closed"._

"Damned, little sweet talker" Belle murmured, thinking back to the cause that had brought her to the street that cold night. Killian waltzed in the Library to ask her to go with him to listen to a band he had always loved, but who had disappeared from the scenes for years now. Belle had teased him asking if she was even born when this band played, earning a shocked expression and a very long lecture about how five years of difference were nothing.

However, in the end, despite all the attempts to get rid of that commitment, she had to give up in front of his charming grin and accept.

Belle reached the doors of the club, strangely finding a small crowd of people outside, smoking or drinking a beer. Usually, these places were animated on Saturdays or Sundays, very few times she saw a crowd during the other days. She opened the doors and went in, finding more people inside. She noticed some people near the bar, but many more were at the foot of the small stage, as they were ready for a great concert. Belle looked around a few times, trying to locate Killian in the crowd but with little success.

Sighing, she took her phone and called Killian, who answered after 6 rings.

_"Hey, princess, have you finally found an excuse to stand me up tonight?"._

Belle rolled her eyes, snorting "Unfortunately, no. I'm already in the pub, where are you? I was about to hang up already and get back at the 4th ring, just for the record”.

Belle heard a lot of voices and noises from the other side of the phone _"Yet you did not. Tell me where you are, love?"._

"I'm next to the front door, where are you?".

 _"In your dreams, darling”._ Belle could clearly hear his grin.

"You wish, darling" Belle said and then she felt an arm around her hips from behind.

Still with the phone in her hand, Belle turned her head and found herself face to face with Killian "About time!".

"It's nice to see you too, precious” Killian said, smiling and kissing her on the cheek.

Belle couldn’t help but smile and shook her head. He was a presumptuous, conceited and childish guy, but he was also sweet, sympathetic and affectionate. Initially, Belle hadn't felt a connection with him when she first met him, because of all of his "qualities" mentioned above, but he had managed to torment her so much to make her understand, slowly, that it was his way of approaching a person, and If you we able to learn how to love him, you could find so much more deeper things under that bad boy's armor; If you hated him, well, you had just to choose whether to give him a punch in the face or a kick in a shin.

"Come on, let’s go. I want to introduce you to a person" Killian said, taking her hand and walking to one side of the pub.

Belle followed him, looking around. The pub was not bad, the lights were very soft and had a tinge of blue. There were two bar stalls with two bartenders each one, serving any imaginable kind of cocktail. There were a lot of people but the atmosphere was neither chaotic nor annoying.

 _'Maybe it won’t be such a terrible night as I had thought’_ Belle thought as they passed through a wooden side door and went to the back of the stage.

"Not because I don’t trust you, but where are we going?" Belle asked.

Killian grinned. "Hey, you're with one of the most famous men here. Have faith".

Belle snorted "Tell me the truth, you train in front of your mirror to say this kind of things?".

"You got me, baby" Killian said, smirking and opening a black curtain hanging from the roof.

Belle went ahead and found herself in a large room full of boxes, crates and parcels. In a corner, there was a white plastic table with some cartons of take-away food; in another there was a motorcycle with a helmet resting on it; in the middle of the room there were some bags that seemed to contain musical instruments.

"I was beginning to think you had stood me up with the excuse that you had to meet someone".

Belle turned toward the doors in the far wall and saw a man approaching. He was pretty lanky, wearing a tight black jacket and a cylinder hat, feather-scarf around his neck and a white t-shirt. Despite his eccentric clothes, his face had a sweet and friendly smile.

"Ohhh, I see. And who is this guest with such astonishing eyes?”.

Killian wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulders and said "Jeff, this is my friend Belle. Belle, this is Jefferson. A foolish man that happens to be my good friend" he added, pretending to speak in a low tone to be heard only by her "He’s a member of the band I told you about" he concluded with a normal tone.

"Enchanté, mademoiselle" Jefferson said, taking her hand and kissing it.

Belle looked at him and giggled "Oh, finally a gallant friend of Killian. Mon plaisir, monsieur".

Jefferson looked shocked "A woman who knows French. That's rare around here. The only things local women know are the weather forecasts and the number of children they want to produce".

Belle laughed "Never be fooled by appearances. There are good women in Storybrooke, and they are also very smart".

"I can see it, mon chéri" Jefferson winked and then turned to Killian, giving him a strong slap on his shoulder "Very good, Killy. Are you finally getting your head together?".

Killian glared at him and took off his hand from his shoulder "She's not my girlfriend. Belle is more..like a sister! Yes, a sister. And stop calling me by that stupid nickname!".

Belle laughed “But it's a very sweet nickname, _Killy_ ".

Killian rolled his eyes "Oh, please" he whined "Not you too, love".

"I really like this little sister of yours, my friend. Are we in tune, right, sweetest?" Jefferson asked her with a smirk, making Belle giggle.

"About our Killy, it seems so" she said with a smile.

"Okay, stop it, both of you. You're not funny" Killian protested, crossing his arms "I have a reputation to keep, what would people think If they heard you call me that way?!".

"And for people, you mean all the female population between the ages of 18 and 30, right?" Belle asked, sighing.

"What do you mean ‘between 18 and 30’? Treasure, what kind of a man do you think I am? It’s up to 40!".

Belle and Jefferson laughed and Killian grinned, amused.

"Okay, sweety, let him stew in his own juice" Jefferson said, winking at her "Hey, can you give me a hand to bring in some cases? The concert is starting soon and I'm still in the middle of nowhere" he told Killian.

Killian grimaced "Don’t you have two other men in your band? Why don’t you go ask them?".

Jefferson stared at him with a maniacal smile on his face "You have a good idea of who my _colleagues_ are, I don’t have to add anything else. And again, your friendship touches me, you’re always ready and available to your old pal Jeff. Come on, let's go, I’ll get you a beer later".

Killian rolled his eyes and turned to Belle "You can stay here and wait for me or go out there and drink something. Your choice".

"I'd rather wait here" Belle said, nodding.

"Great choice...We could not be able to find ourselves anymore If we lost in that crowd, you know? I could be overwhelmed by the female crowd" he said with a grin.

Belle slapped his arm lightly as he walked away with Jefferson, exiting and noticing a small truck parked not so far away. Belle put her hands in the pockets of the amaranth leather jacket she awas wearing and began walking slowly around the room. Her curiosity led her to a series of covered guitars leant against one side of the wall. She approached the only one not inside its case, it was a beautiful metallic black guitar with gold engravings. It was shiny and beautiful, it looked like a mermaid in Belle's ears who invited her to take it and go for a ride, even though she had never taken a guitar in her hands. Belle grinned to herself like a little kid as she took the guitar with reverence. She felt almost as If she was in front of Koh-i-noor, a few seconds away from grabbing and stealing it. Belle stared at the guitar in her hands, noticing its heavy weight and the perfect surface of the case; the strings were shiny too, it seemed as If it had never been played before. Belle was tempted to move her fingers on the strings to hear the sound, imagining that only such melodious and mesmerizing notes could come out of a similar instrument, but she preferred not to dare too much and, instead, she put the guitar in its place.

She just had time to set it on the guitar-stand when she felt a hand wrapped around her wrist, causing her to spin around and be pushed against the wall. Belle closed her eyes, grimacing when her body ended up against the hard and cold surface of the wall, and then she opened them, standing before two huge brown eyes staring at her. Belle opened her eyes wide, unable to speak. She stood motionless with a stranger holding her arm firmly, staring at her. Belle shook herself when the stranger caught hold of her other wrist and pulled her arms almost over her head, drawing his face dangerously closer to her own.

Then, Belle jumped. She realized that she was in an isolated and deserted room, in a dark corner, and she shivered for the fear of the moment, despite the stranger’s face made her feel oddly calm and safe.

"Wha...What do you want?" Belle stuttered.

The man didn’t answer, he only kept staring at her and remaining completely motionless. Belle stared into his eyes and took note of his face. He had long hair, and an eagle's nose, and he wore a long necklace around his neck. He was wearing a black shirt and a dark brown jacket. But his eyes were the things that mostly hypnotized Belle; they were so deep, of such a peculiar color that made her forget the possible danger she was in that moment.

Belle tried to move her wrists and free herself, but the man’s grip was strong and fierce. The man moved one step closer and Belle frowned. She was about to open her mouth and speak again when movements behind the man caught her attention.

"Hey, what's going on here?".

 

 

_TBC…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is based on the game "Is it love?".  
> *  
> *  
> So...?...Any thoughts for a novice author like this one? Pretty please :P?


	2. Chapter 2

Belle kept staring at the stranger in the eyes, opening and closing her mouth without saying anything. The stranger frowned, still clasping her wrists with his hands.

"What is she doing here?" the man asked abruptly, squeezing her wrists one last time and then releasing them as If they were steaming.

"She's with me, Nick" Belle heard Killian's voice but as If he was miles away. She was still stunned by the moment.

"Who cares? She shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t be here either" 'Nick' said, still staring at her.

" _I'm_ helping Jefferson with _your_ instruments, a thing that you should do, you know? So, complain less and let Belle go" Killian said seriously.

Nick glared at her one last time before turning to Killian "Do you think I give a crap If you’re bringing in two boxes, Johnson? After all, there must be a reason If _you_ ’re bringing in _my stuff_ , don’t you think?" he said with a smirk.

Belle, finally, shook her head and was ready to talk back to the smartass for his barbaric manners when he walked away quickly. Belle stood motionless against the wall, still breathless.

_‘What the hell happened?'_  she thought.

The thing that bothered her most was that she had just been smacked against a wall from a perfect stranger in an unknown place, but she wasn't feeling scared or panicky; she felt a strange warmth in her stomach instead and she could feel her pale forehead slightly sweaty. There was something in that man… _Nick_ , that had hypnotized her. Maybe it was his eyes, or his cocky behaviour, maybe it was just the surprise of his arrival...

"Hey, beautiful, you all right?".

Belle slightly jumped, looking almost guiltily at Jefferson and Killian that were in front of her now "Ehm...Yes, yes. I'm fine" she said with a brief laugh "But who was that guy?" she asked, pointing to the direction where the man had disappeared.

"That guy, cherì, is Nick, our frontman. He has a mighty voice and godly hands with the guitar" Jefferson said almost proudly.

Belle frowned "Well, he's a violent insufferable, singer or not. What the hell was he thinking? Treating me like that?" she said, rubbing her right wrist.

"Ehm...Look, the fact is…I know that he’s not very funny at first glance…but he's not a bad guy!".

"Oh, I can’t imagine If he was!?" Belle snorted.

"It's just a guy so full of himself, Belle, let it go. He’s just jealous of his _girls_ " Killian said, pointing to the guitars beside her "I think that If one day destiny will be so cruel to bless the world with a product of his genes, nobody should never ask him If he’d choose his children or his guitars" Killian scoffed.

"Oh, come on, Killy, leave him alone. You know he does it on purpose" Jefferson said, still defending him.

"Perhaps, Jefferson, but he’s still a rude person. And you can tell him, when you’ll see him again, that next time he’ll lift just one finger on me again, he’ll find a kick on his _boys_ to wait for him, If you know what I mean" Belle fumed and turned toward the direction they came from, walking out.

Jefferson chuckled and Killian smirked, following her.

* * *

Belle and Killian returned to the main room now fuller than when they left it. They managed to get to one of the bar stall and find one free stool, both of them resting one leg on it and sharing the seat. As they waited for one of the bartenders to notice them to ask for their drinks, Belle's eyes wandered to the stage. The band was starting to fix the latest things so they could start playing, and Belle noticed other members of the band appear. She saw a man with short blond platinum hair kneeling in front of a speaker, tuning a light yellow bass; he was wearing a shiny coat that reached his ankles and he had rubber boots on his feet. Next to the bassist, Belle noticed a piano and a guy giving them his shoulders while fixing the last cables. When he turned, Belle realized that it was David Nolan, a regular customer of the Library. David was a good man, always kind and with a sweet smile on his face, she didn’t know he played. And she didn’t know he played in a band, especially.

Belle was still watching David tuning his instrument when her gaze caught a woman climbing on stage as If she dominated the scene. She had long, thick black hair; dark leather pants that stood up her muscular legs; lots of necklaces and earrings on her face; and two deep blue eyes that could penetrate a concrete wall. The woman walked surely to a corner of the stage where Belle noticed some percussions and tambourines.

"Who are the other members of the band?" Belle asked to Killian, who was giving the bartender their orders.

Killian grinned and said "Well, that kind of fashion-dubious man is Dale, the band's bassist; a strange type...odd, I'd say, and a womanizer" Killian concluded, winking.

Belle grinned "Is he your friend, isn't he?".

"You can say it, darling" he winked again "The guy at the keyboards is David, a kind of guy...too good" said Killian, pretending to put his finger in his mouth to gag.

Belle laughed and slapped him on one arm "Stop it! I know David, he's often at the Library. He's a very sweet guy".

Killian raised his eyebrows "Yeah...If you need a human chamomile, you know who to go to" he said, earning another slap on his arm.

"And the woman?" Belle asked, nodding her head toward her.

"Ohhh, that's Milah" Killian said almost dreamingly "She's the only woman of the band, though I think she's the one who really wears pants. She plays percussions and drum, and she's also very good. I know that she studied at the Academy of Music but then she abandoned it when she met Nick" Killian said almost with disgust.

"Oh," said Belle, oddly disappointed "Are they together?".

"Hmm, I don’t think so. I mean, I know they've been together for quite some years, but then something broke between them and they’ve been in and out for a while now. I think they're in the ‘out’ phase right now" Killian said, nodding to the bartender and passing her her drink.

"What about Jefferson?" Belle asked.

Killian took a sip of his beer before answering "Woo, this beer is strong…However, Jeff and I have grown up practically in the same house. My mother and his mother worked together and often he and I played together, you know" Killian concluded, smirking and looking lasciviously at two girls near them.

Belle was staring at the stage again when Jefferson appeared and walked to the drums, followed immediately by Nick. He now had a hat on his head with a long black feather on one side; he had removed his jacket to wear only a vest. He wore several rings and necklaces on his fingers and neck, giving him an air of hardened rocker.

"And what about Nick?" Belle asked. But when he didn’t answer, she turned to him and found Killian winking at the girls. Belle rolled her eyes "Before I lose you in somebody's arms, can you finish with the band's story, please?" she said, tugging on his sleeve.

Killian turned to her "Oh yeah, sure. And then we have the pompous, arrogant, self-important Nick Rush. He’s the group's voice and guitar, a magician of melody and technique. Starting from a basement, years ago they managed to make some evenings in various pubs of the area and, you know, they were having a good success. By chance, a scout from a discreet label heard them playing and reported them to his company. And then, you know, they recorded their first songs and had a good local radio success. But then, suddenly, and don’t ask me why, they split up and everyone went on their way for several years, literally throwing away a golden opportunity, only a step before a wider succes. It’s been only a year that they’re together again, and I think it's mostly thanks to Jefferson if they’re. Nick has always been this way: grumpy, pouty, frowning, without brakes, telling you that you're an idiot If he thinks you are. That, as you can imagine, has caused a lot of chaos around them. And I can see that nothing has changed" Killian concluded, staring at Nick on the stage.

Belle listened carefully to Killian's story, even more intrigued by the story of the band and its scorbutic frontman. Belle noticed Nick was the most isolated member, keeping to himself with only his guitar, and she noticed how he and Milah hadn’t even exchanged a nod as they went on stage. Behind them, Jefferson, Dale and David were laughing and patting their shoulders, almost unaware of the palpable tension between the other two members of the band.

Belle looked back at Nick who was now kneeling with his guitar on his shoulder, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and putting it on a speaker, taking a sip from a plastic cup immediately after.

_'Well, if he wants to get drunk before starting a concert, I really want to see how he will lose the title of 'guitar magician' tonight'_ she thought bitterly, still irritated by their encounter.

 

 

**TBC…**

**Author's Note:**

> So...?...Any thoughts for a novice author like this one? Pretty please :P?


End file.
